With graduation season just behind us, I’ve been reflecting on what it means to have potential. Whether entering the workforce or continuing their education, recent graduates carry with them a strong sense of momentum and possibility. But potential isn’t limited to new chapters – it exists all around us, all the time. It’s the potential to see challenges as opportunities, to build partnerships that strengthen our communities, and to keep growing, learning and evolving. 

In this issue, we are highlighting our Housing Rehabilitation team, whose work brings new life to aging homes throughout Washington County. By providing critical repairs and accessibility improvements, the team helps ensure that low-income homeowners – many of whom are older adults or individuals with disabilities – can remain safely and comfortably in their homes. These projects do more than restore houses; they help preserve dignity, stability and connection.

At the same time, we’re navigating uncertainty at the federal level, with proposed cuts to key programs like the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program. Even so, there is still potential – the potential to raise awareness, strengthen coalitions, and advocate for programs that make this work possible.

As you read through this newsletter, we invite you to reflect on the possibilities ahead – and consider how you can support the continued impact of these essential programs.

In partnership,

Shannon Wilson

Program Manager

Left to Right: Shaena Johnson, Sarah Branson, Brian Fogg

This spring, our team began a project to upgrade a client's shower for better accessibility in a manufactured home park. Mid way through the repairs a windstorm struck – demolishing the porch cover, damaging the roof, peeling back the flashing and opening up the siding, which allowed water to seep into the home.

After a quickly assessing the damage on-site, staff were able to expand the scope of work to include the storm-related repairs. The contractor completed the original project, repaired the damaged exterior and built a new patio cover – all within the budget of the grant awarded to the homeowner.

When a tree fell on Hillsboro home, it fortunately didn’t break through the roof – but it did cause enough damage to create a small leak. While the homeowner’s insurance covered the cost of removing the tree, it did not cover repairs to the roof surface.

The Hillsboro Housing Rehabilitation Program stepped in, contracting with a local contractor to repair the damaged roof and replace the home’s aging gutters.

As part of the Woodstove Exchange Program, we’re proud to highlight a recent project at a small rural farm just outside of Hillsboro, in unincorporated Washington County.  

The homeowners, a retired couple, wanted to make their home more sustainable and better equipped for the increasingly harsh winter season. Living in an area where power lines are still above ground, they often lose electricity for days at a time during storms. To become more self-reliant, they planned a series of home upgrades – including installing a large propane tank and piping it directly to their home.

With propane now available on-site, the couple can cook meals and, thanks to a new propane-powered generator, keep essentials like the refrigerator and freezer running during power outages.

Through the Woodstove Exchange Program, we helped them replace their old, uncertified 1986 wood stove with a new, high-efficiency propane stove – creating a cleaner, safer and more reliable heating source for their home.



Projects like this are small but meaningful steps toward a more sustainable, resilient and healthy community. This project and many others with similar circumstances are small efforts in creating a better community for all. We remain committed to supporting local residents and improving air quality – one woodstove at a time. 



Our Housing Rehabilitation programs partner with several local organizations to maximize the impact of federal funding and deliver a more comprehensive improvements to homes we serve. While each partner brings a unique focus and scopes of work, the outcomes we achieve together wouldn’t be possible without their collaboration and support.

We extend our sincere thanks to Community Action’s Weatherization Program, Rebuilding Together Greater Portland, West Tuality Habitat for Humanity, and Catalyst NW for their continued partnership and dedication to serving Washington County residents.

For more information

Washington County Housing Rehab

Hillsboro Housing Rehab

Woodstove Exchange